For many a globetrotter, the island of Tenerife probably conjures up images of package holidays, English fry-ups in beach-front cafes, and incredibly sunburnt Germans. I get it. But this island has plenty more to offer: cultural gems, beautiful beaches, pine-forested mountains, and absolutely mouthwatering food are all waiting to be uncovered. And with a stay at this stunning boutique hotel in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the island’s capital city, it’s possible to uncover it all in style.
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I’d booked my night at the Hotel Emblemático Hi Suites for two reasons. Firstly, I was embarking on a cruise the next morning, and this hotel is right in the centre of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and mere minutes away from Tenerife cruise port. Secondly, because it just looked so absolutely stunning: the suites are all super spacious, with serious zen vibes. As a full disclaimer, I work on a cruise ship, and was about to be spending a week staying in my boyfriend’s extremely tiny and windowless cabin- so seeing as my one night in Santa Cruz was going to be my only luxurious one, I wanted to make the most of it.
The Hotel Emblemático Hi Suites certainly did the trick.
Travelling to the Hotel Emblemático Hi Suites
Most international flights arrive at Tenerife Sur airport, which is about 50 minutes away from the city. You can either pre-book a transfer from Tenerife Sur to Santa Cruz, or catch public bus number 711 from directly outside the terminal building into the centre of the city. From the bus station you can catch a tram to take you closer to the hotel.
If you’re hiring a car so that you can see more of the island under your own steam (check rental rates in Tenerife here), the hotel has parking spaces available as long as you reserve them prior to your stay.
A Santa Cruz de Tenerife hotel with style
The hotel is in a refurbished historic building on a quiet corner, right in the centre of Santa Cruz. Completely in keeping with its surroundings, the elegant exterior blends in so well with the neighbourhood of the old town that it might be easy to miss; but I loved the non-flashy exterior, with its wrought-iron French balconies outside each window, and I felt like I’d discovered a bit of a hidden gem.
When you walk through the front door into reception, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re actually entering a spa. The lobby is decorated in natural, neutral colours, and even smells like a spa.
It’s downright gorgeous, I tell you.
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The rooms at the Hotel Emblemático Hi Suites
Space was high on my priority list for my stay, and this Santa Cruz hotel did not disappoint. I booked a Superior Loft room on the first floor of the building, and it was basically the size of a small apartment.
The light and airy living space downstairs contained a kitchen with a quite frankly vital Nespresso coffee machine, a small high table with two barstools, one of the comfiest sofas I have sat on in a while, and an absolutely gargantuan television. To top it all off, the floor-to-ceiling windows opened onto a pretty little French balcony.
Up a curled staircase on the mezzanine floor, was the bedroom, with one seriously comfortable bed and another gargantuan television, and through a glass door was the bathroom, with an incredibly spacious shower.
When the whole suite is decorated in white and neutral sandy shades of straw and linen, it can’t help but have a calming effect on your senses. Call me crazy, but lighting means a lot to me, and the warm glow of the lighting of this beautiful boutique hotel- with great finishing touches like wicker lamps and mirror frames, and pops of bright green plants- just added to the relaxed vibes.
This hotel is perfect for a stay in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Showered and feeling generally much fresher than when I first arrived- after a delayed flight and a long journey- I headed out into the streets of the old town for an early evening wander. Aside from the overall atmosphere of the Hotel Emblemático, this Santa Cruz hotel is in a really great location.
Narrow lanes open up into squares filled with tables and chairs, groups of friends and couples nibbling on tapas and sipping wine or beer underneath palm trees and parasols. Palm trees sway in the sunshine- it feels as if it’s always sunny in Tenerife- and there’s a brilliant shopping area right in the centre of it all. Further along the seafront is the iconic shell-like structure of the Auditorio de Tenerife, and the beautiful lido of the Parque Maritímo Cesar Manrique- another architectural gem which also happens to be a swimming pool complex.
On this particular early evening in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, though, I stuck to the vicinity of the hotel, settling for a barraquito in a bar on the Plaza de España, overlooking the turquoise blue pond in the middle.
Read my full guide to Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Room service at the hotel
Feeling ultra-weary from all that travelling, post-barraquito I headed back to the hotel. I wasn’t feeling a search for some dinner (although there are plenty of brilliant restaurants in Santa Cruz), and I was also way too tired to cook anything. Lucky for me, although there’s no official hotel restaurant, this particular boutique hotel has room service.
Joy to the world: sushi is served.
The dinner-time room service menu is a selection of sushi, poké bowls, and all manner of drinks that you could possibly be needing. The platter of sushi and gyoza were delivered to my room super-speedily, and it was the easiest and tastiest way to end what had felt like a very long day.
In the morning, there’s also a breakfast room service menu, and although I didn’t order from it it seemed like a great selection for decent prices. Essentially, it’s great to know that even if you arrive in the middle of the night, you won’t have to run out at the crack of dawn in order to find breakfast; breakfast can come straight to you.
The most beautiful boutique hotel in Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
I loved my stay at this hotel. The boxes of spaciousness, beautiful aesthetics and a super-convenient location close to the cruise port and the old town were all not just ticked, but also exceeded, on so many levels.
And although I was only staying in Santa Cruz in order to board a cruise ship, I actually think this would be a great alternative European city break destination. It’s compact, but that means it’s very walkable, there’s a great mixture of local culture as well as convenience for tourists, and Tenerife is sunny basically all year round.
The Hi Suites Hotel Emblemático is the ideal hotel in Santa Cruz de Tenerife to enjoy a short but sweet- and super-peaceful- break on the island, allowing you to feel like you’re in an extremely zen home-away-from home.
Check room rates and dates for the Hotel Emblemático Hi Suites hotel Santa Cruz de Tenerife.